Manatee County may restrict panhandling
Rick "Tennessee" Mantooth, 51, stands along State Road 64 in Bradenton with a sign asking for work. "They yell at me, 'Get a job.'
Why do they think I'm holding the sign?" he said.
Photo by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
After nearly a year of legal fine-tuning, the Manatee County Commission will soon wade back into the thorny legal issue of restricting panhandling.
Commissioner Ron Getman has been meeting privately with law enforcement officials and local and state attorneys to create an ordinance that would limit, if not ban, non-charitable panhandling in the county.
Such restrictions are legally tricky and commonly face court challenges, many successful, from homeless advocates. Critics say the laws are often too broad and are enforced unevenly. They also argue that a begging ban may infringe on a person's First Amendment rights.
Like other restrictions on the homeless, they tend to only shift the problem elsewhere, said Michael Stoops of the National Coalition for the Homeless. "Rather than arresting people on street corners, maybe we should ask why people are panhandling," Stoops said.
Read the Sarasota Herald-Tribune article here.
posted by Jacqueline Dowd @ 8:46 AM
5 Comments:
The homeless problem in Manatee
County at Interstate 75 and Route 301 are NOT families. One-eight (approx) of a mile north of 75 on 301 beside the shopping center are numerous homeless that leave their trash and feces/urine every day in the woods and on the street corners. A man publicy urinated amoung hundres of cars in public view. Isn't there a law against that? They pose health problems among other things. I live in Ridgewood Meadows and I have to walk past and encounter them everyday. If I were looking to buy my property and saw these homeless at and beside the property I would certainly look elsewhere. Where is our protection? The tents are growing every day and more and more are coming in. PLEASE DO SOMETHING to help those of us that live on what we have. They have ATM cards and everyday are seen buying their liquor.
Thank you for listening. I hope you are really listening!
It is not just that area of the county suffering. The problem increased when Sarasota passed their ordinances and the pan handlers moved north. The group at University and Cooper creek, SR 64 and I75, US 301 n and I75 are the areas where they re most prevelant. No one feels safe.
i would like to say to the people who posted against the homless people. what would you do in that very same situation. I am a father, a hard worker, and am going to be homeless in 6 days, because i was layed off from my job, due to a work injury. there is little help for families in need. i know that it would be nicer for you if the homless people were not seen. how sad
this is regarding the post from the ridgewood meadows person. judging people because of their appearance is not right, i do understand a "fear" about the situation, but not all homless people are terrilbe, you dont know the various situations that have caused their problems, and current status in society. i am so deeply saddened by your outlook, and opinion. what has happened to humanity, compassion, and love for our neighbors, just basic concern for others. just because a person is homless, does not mean their evil, or their trash. In todays society it would be better for all if people like this would just go away - correct? your more worried about your property value, than a person starving, or finding an ill fate because they are not what you consider to be acceptable. How do you sleep at night? i have given my last dollar to feed someone else, just because they were hungry, i didnt know them, but i would rather know them than you.
being homeless can happen to anyone, from any where, no matter what their status in society is, or was. your way of life can be wonderful today, and destitute tomorrow. No one knows what tomorrow holds for them, only God knows that, and i hope that He doesnt judge you as you have judged them.
Thanks so much for the post, quite helpful piece of writing.
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